IPL 2019, Match 56, Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders - KKR Predicted Playing XI

Just when the fans thought Kolkata Knight Riders lost their shape completely, they registered two consecutive wins to follow up the six-match losing streak. The side looks high on confidence once again and will be desperate to muster a big win at the Wankhede, where the Mumbai Indians too will have a target to accomplish.

KKR’s playoff reaching scenario will get very intricate if Sunrisers Hyderabad register a win in Bangalore. If not, they will have to just win the game to go through. Going by their current momentum, the Knight Riders will wreak havoc in the tournament if they manage to reach the final four.

Their opponents are chasing a top two finish, which earns them an extra shot at the final. Mumbai are coming off a brilliant super over finish, which left everyone awestruck. Both sides have great ambitions heading on to the playing field tomorrow and the level of intensity will be higher than the usual.

Here’s KKR’s predicted playing XI for this crucial game.

Openers – (Chris Lynn, Shubman Gill)

After a slow start to his campaign, Chris Lynn finally found his rhythm and Lynnsanity is pretty much affecting the bowlers in the IPL right now. The swashbuckling cricketer has been sensational in the last few games, scoring boundaries at will, just the way he does for Brisbane Heat in the BBL.

Shubman Gill showcased why he is touted as the future of Indian cricket with a mind-boggling knock against the Kings XI Punjab the other day. The youngster has had a torrid time waiting for his opportunity to open and when the chance finally came, he has grabbed it with both hands. He surely is in contention to win the Best Emerging Player award.

Middle order – (Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh)

They have a problem of plenty in the middle order, with Andre Russell being promoted to number three or four depending on situations recently. Nitish Rana is not getting a chance to bat in his favoured positions as Robin Uthappa has also taken up that responsibility at number 3.

Dinesh Karthik perhaps will keep tinkering with the middle order, himself batting at number five. He came out and finished the game in style at Mohali the other day and would be expecting similar performances from his batsmen on Sunday. Rinku Singh is the other batsman in the lineup, who has barely got a chance to bat.

All-rounders – (Andre Russell, Sunil Narine)

All eyes will be on the West Indian Andre Russell to see what he can pull off on such a crucial night for the Knight Riders. A win won’t be easy for them considering how well Mumbai have been performing at the Wankhede recently but with this man in the XI, anything is possible on the field of cricket.

Sunil Narine might have lost the chance to open after a string of low scores, but he still is a capable batsman who can tonk the big one. He hasn’t been very lethal with his off-breaks, but the Wankhede track was playing slow the other day and he might get some purchase to play with.

Bowlers – (Lockie Ferguson, Sandeep Warrier, Piyush Chawla)

Harry Gurney is expected to sit out for this final encounter with Lockie Ferguson replacing him. The Kiwi speedster is one of the fastest bowlers in the world but has been a little inconsistent with his lines in Indian conditions. It’s imperative for him to not lose his composure as fast bowlers of late have had a horrible time in Mumbai.

Sandeep Warrier made merry of the opportunity he received, picking up two prized wickets of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle. He finished with figures of 2/31, which is decent enough to earn him another game. Piyush Chawla will continue to be their main bowler in the middle overs and he too will relish bowling on this slow track.

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.